It is no exaggeration to describe the air conditioning condenser as the heart of your air conditioning system. Not only does it regulate the flow of the cooling refrigerant to the rest of the system but it also facilitates the disposal of much of the generated waste heat. These two processes may seem divided in a modern air conditioning condenser but are actually performed at the same time.

How does a Modern Air Conditioning Condenser Work?

The concept of “cold” is somewhat misleading. The phenomenon is actually just the absence of heat. When an air conditioner “cools” air, it is actually just removing some of the heat from it. An AC condenser works on this principle.

A low pressure gas, the refrigerant, is introduced to the condenser. The condenser then pressurizes this cool gas into a hot liquid. The hot liquid is passed through tubes by the condenser vents. A fan blows fresh air through these vents, across the tubes and removes a substantial portion of the heat in the liquid. The relatively cool liquid is then pumped to the evaporator where it is reconverted to gas and further cooled. The process is then repeated.

Keeping Your Condenser Working Properly

While an air conditioning condenser operates on a well known scientific principle, it is still a high tech appliance. As such, routine maintenance is essential to keep it running efficiently, safely and affordably. In the case of the condenser, the refrigerant level should be checked at the beginning of the summer season and the vents and machinery should be cleaned and cleared of any debris. This two small steps will keep you cool for many summers to come.